


Down Memory Lane

by orphan_account



Category: Sons of Anarchy
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Divorce, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, First Love, Past Domestic Violence, Starting Over
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-11
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2019-07-10 21:42:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 19
Words: 20,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15958115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Constance McLoud moved to Charming with her two children after her divorce to start over. The last person she ever expected to find was the first man that she ever loved.  Happy Lowman has just patched in as a member of SAMCRO. He's always prided himself on having no personal attachments, but it does get lonely. When he sees the first woman he ever dated, can he continue to be detached, or will she and her kids work their way into his life and his heart?------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I own nothing to do with Happy Lowman, Sons Of Anarchy or any other character or storyline from the show. I only own my own original characters and story.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------This will be a slow burn but it will become Mature. Reader discretion is advised.





	1. Chapter One

 

_Welcome To Charming_

Connie breathed a sigh of relief as her Tahoe sped past the city limits toward town. She looked in the rearview mirror to see Maddie passed out and Nate on his phone, oblivious to everything around him. It had been a long trip but they had made it in good time, only having to stop a few times for restroom and snack breaks and once for a hotel.

"How about pizza for dinner? I won't have anything unpacked until tomorrow."

She looked in the mirror again to see Nate lift his head from his phone and look out the window as he shrugged. "Yeah, whatever's fine, mom."

She sighed, knowing that out of her two kids, Nate was taking the divorce the hardest. At thirteen, she knew that he felt like she was taking him to another planet, not just a city in California. Maddie, being almost four, didn't really understand what was going on yet, thinking that they were just on an adventure.

"You're gonna love it here, you'll see."

Nate shrugged again, looking disinterested. "Yeah, keep telling yourself that mom. We don't know anyone here. This is gonna suck."

Connie just shook her head. "Google pizza parlors in Charming, please. I'm going to stop up here at this grocery store for some paper plates and napkins. I'll do some proper shopping in the morning."

While her son looked up somewhere to get dinner, she got out of the car and grabbed her purse before going around and lifting a still-sleeping Maddie out of her seat. She walked into the store and picked up a basket to do her shopping, balancing her load as she walked down the paper aisle. She was reaching up to an impossibly tall shelf for napkins, cursing her short stature and heavy child that she still held with one arm.

A masculine looking arm reached up and easily plucked a package of napkins down and dropped it in her basket. She looked up to see a good-looking blonde man standing beside her with a smirk on his face. "There ya go, darlin. Hate to see ya drop anything important." He pointed at Maddie and grinned, making Connie chuckle. I haven't seen you around town. Just passing through?"

Connie shook her head as she eyed the kutte he wore on his back. "No, actually, we just moved here today. Getting some stuff for dinner."

He nodded. "Gotcha. Well, I'm sure I'll see ya around, darlin. Welcome to Charming."

Connie nodded and he was on his way, making her grin at the bad boy swagger he had going on. She blew out a breath and finished her shopping, having just picked out a bottle of wine when Nate came walking in. She quickly passed his sister to him and made her way to the cashier.

"Pizza will be ready in about ten minutes."

Connie smiled at her son and nodded. "Thanks, sweetie."

She paid for their things and they walked outside to see the blonde-haired man and another with black curly hair, sitting on their motorcycles and talking as another heavier man with long curly hair spoke on a phone. The blonde smiled and nodded as she walked around to put Maddie in her seat while Nate loaded their bags in the storage compartment.

"Find everything you needed?"

Connie gave the men a polite smile and nodded as she shut Maddie's door. "Yes, thank you." She started around the front of the Tahoe but stopped midway. "Could you tell me where the police station is? I need to swing by there tomorrow."

The blonde nodded and pointed. "Yeah, about three blocks up on Main. You can't miss it."

Connie nodded her thanks and went around to get in. She waved as they pulled out of the parking lot and headed to the pizza parlor.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pizza devoured and kids in makeshift beds on the floor of Nate's room, Connie was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. Sitting against the wall of the living room, she quietly sipped her wine and took stock of things. The moving van would be there sometime tomorrow with the furniture and then she'd go the grocery store and the police station. 

She looked around the room with a little bit of pride. This was her home, one that she had paid for herself. She'd fix it up a little at a time until it was exactly how she wanted it. The neighborhood seemed to be quiet, houses and yards in good condition. She had seen children out playing and they had passed a small park on their way into the subdivision. She planned to take Maddie there if she got too restless in the morning, since all of her toys were in transit, except for the stuffed bear she took everywhere with her.

She frowned as she recalled the last conversation she had with her now ex-husband, Jack. He hadn't been happy with her taking the kids out of state, but she'd been granted custody so there wasn't much he could do about it. She couldn't explain why she had picked Charming, not even to herself. She just knew that she needed a fresh start somewhere and this was where her finger had landed on the map.

She poured a little more wine into her glass before getting up to walk outside and sit on her porch steps. The night air felt good and it was quiet, only the sound of crickets in the darkness. She looked at the driveway next door and saw a motorcycle sitting there next to an SUV. She smiled at the domestic picture it painted.

She knew it would be a huge adjustment for all of them, but she honestly felt that this was the best thing for all concerned. Jack would be able to chase every woman in Spokane for all she cared, and the kids would grow up in a small town setting. She would have a place to write and raise her family, perhaps find love again one day. she shook her head at her own foolishness as she stood up and walked back inside. 

As she made sure everything was locked up for the night, she tried to tell herself that she had just gotten out of one messed up relationship, she certainly didn't need a new one to complicate things.


	2. Chapter Two

 

Connie woke up to two little hands on either side of her face, turning her head this way and that. She opened one eye and peered into her daughter's face, unable to keep the grin off of her own even as she groaned at the early morning intrusion.

"Can I help you, sweet pea?"

Maddie giggled and nodded from her position on Connie's chest. "Mornin' mommy! When does the big truck get here?"

Connie squinted at her phone and saw that it was just shy of seven a.m. She let her head fall back on the floor threw her arms around Maddie, hugging her as she slid the little girl off of her stomach and to her side.

"Soon. Is your brother awake?"

Maddie nodded before squirming out of her mother's arms and running toward her brother's room. Momentarily she was back, pulling her big brother by the hand behind her. He yawned as he looked at his mother.

"We got anything to eat for breakfast?"

Connie groaned and shook her head as she pulled herself up off of the floor. "No, I'll have to go get something. Can you watch your sister and wait for the truck while I do that? They should be here soon." 

At his nod, Connie went into the bathroom to change into a pair of shorts and a tank top before throwing her hair up into a messy bun and grabbing her sandals. She kissed both kids, snatched her purse from the kitchen counter and headed out the door. As she drove to town, she looked for any kind of fast food place but found none. With a shrug and intent on getting a cup of caffeine, she pulled into the parking lot of a diner and got out. She sat at the counter and waited for her order, sipping her coffee and people watching.

She was intent on watching an adorable older couple when she heard a voice speak up from her side, startling her. "You're the girl from the store yesterday, right? Had two kids with ya?"

Connie nodded at the black haired man from yesterday, internally rolling her eyes as he openly checked her out. "Yeah, just moved here."

The dark haired man stepped a little closer as the man with him rolled his eyes. "Well, welcome to Charming, doll." He stuck his hand out and Connie shook it. "Tig Trager." He pointed to his friend. "That's Chibs Telford. I'd love to show you around town sometime."

Connie chuckled and shook her head. "Connie McCloud. It's nice to meet both of you." The waitress sat a bag on the counter and smiled at Connie as she handed her the money. "I'm afraid I need to get going. Got two hungry mouths to feed at home." She smiled at the two men as she stood up and started for the door. "Have a good day, Tig, Chibs."

She walked out into the morning sunshine and got in her Tahoe for the short ride home. Once there, she noted with satisfaction that the moving truck had arrived and the men were currently carrying her sofa into the house. She quickly got the kids settled at the picnic table in the backyard with their food, out of the way of the movers. 

She was standing on her front porch directing the men with boxes on where to go when she saw a dark-haired woman walking across the yard with a baby on her hip. She looked to be younger than Connie herself and was very attractive. She smiled and extended a hand as she reached the porch. Connie shook it and made cooing noises at the smiling baby.

"Hi, I'm Tara Knowles. I live next door. I just thought I'd come over and welcome you to the neighborhood."

Connie chuckled and nodded. "Thanks! I'm Connie." 

Tara nodded. "So where ya from?"

"Spokane."

"Wow, that's quite a change, huh? How did you pick Charming?"

Connie laughed and shook her head. "Honestly, I don't know. I just looked at a map and thought, "yeah, that's the place". My oldest thinks I'm crazy."

Tara laughed. "You have kids? How old?"

"Nate is thirteen and Maddie is almost four."

"Nice! Is your husband working or... ?"

Connie grinned. "No, we're divorced. It's just me and the two kids."

Tara winced as she looked at Connie apologetically. "Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... "

Connie waved off her apology with a light laugh. "No, don't be sorry. It's the best thing for everyone."

Tara nodded then pointed toward her house. "Well, I better get back. My boyfriend is going to want breakfast soon. I'll stop by tomorrow and we can chat some more if you'd like?"

Connie smiled and nodded. "That would be great. You have a great day!"

Connie watched as Tara walked back across the lawn dividing the two houses before walking inside to see how everything was going. Sooner than she expected, the movers were done bringing everything in and even stayed long enough to put the beds together before leaving her alone with two kids and a house full of packing boxes. She looked around at the mess before turning to the two kids sprawled across the sofa.

"How about a trip to the park before we start unpacking?"

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Happy and Opie were stopped at a light when movement caught Happy's eye. In the park to his left, there was a woman chasing a little girl and laughing at something an older kid said. He scratched his head as something in his mind kept pulling at him. He could hear their laughter even over the engine of his bike and it made his mouth twitch into a small smile. That laugh was familiar for some reason but he couldn't put his finger on it. As the light changed and they continued on to Jax's house, it finally dawned on him. 

Her laugh sounded like Connie's. Connie Durning. He shook his head as he realized that he hadn't thought about her in years. Oh, every once in a while, when he was alone at night, he'd allow himself to think about the girl he'd lost so many years ago, but then he'd give himself a mental shake. It did no good to think about someone he'd never see again.


	3. Chapter Three

 

"Mommy, look, it's a painted man!"

Connie gently removed the little hand that was pulling on her shirt as she threw a couple cans of green beans in the cart. She didn't bother to look where Maddie was pointing because if she did it would take twice as long to get her shopping done. 

"That's nice, honey. Nate, can you go find the toilet paper, please?"

Nate grumbled something but took off down the aisle as Connie chose some canned corn and added it to the growing pile. She was looking over the selection of spaghetti sauces when Nate threw the toilet paper in the cart.

"Uhhh, mom... where's Mad?"

Connie's head snapped up and she automatically started looking around the area. "Shit!" She took off out of the aisle with Nate hot on her heels as she started yelling. "Maddie!"

She ran around a corner and stopped short when she saw her daughter in the arms of a heavily tattooed man, talking a mile a minute. She felt her heart start back as Maddie yelled for her mommy and the man sat her down on the floor. Connie didn't spare him a glance as her daughter launched herself at Connie's knees. She wrapped her arms around her and squeezed her, thankful that she had found her.

When she was certain that Maddie was unharmed, she disentangled herself from her child's hold and stooped down in front of her.  "Madeline Louise McCloud, you know better than to go running off in strange places! What if something had happened to you?"

"I wanted to see the painted man!"

Connie shook her head as she stood back up and started to yell again when a raspy voice cut right through her. "Connie."

Her head snapped up and she stared in shock at the man in front of her, looking at her the same way. "Happy." Happy Lowman was standing in front of her. How in the hell was Happy Lowman in a grocery store in Charming? The last time she had seen him was in San Bernadino when they were sixteen years old. She was brought back to the present as Nate snorted at the mention of the biker's name. She cut her son a look and immediately, he had the look of innocence.

"Nathaniel James McCloud, have you suddenly forgotten how to be polite?"

Her son quickly shook his head as he suddenly found his sneakers very interesting. "No, ma'am."

She gave him a short nod. "I didn't think so." She turned back to Happy and lost her breath for a second. Time had been very good to the man. With the exception of his ink, the bald head and a lot of muscle that hadn't been there before, he still looked the same as he did all those years ago. "What are you doing in Charming?"

She watched him shrug. "I'm a member of SAMCRO. What are you doing here?"

She nodded, assuming that had something to do with the motorcycle kutte he was wearing. "We just moved here."

Happy nodded and shifted on his feet before nodding to the two children. "Cute kids."

Connie grinned and looked at her offspring. "Cute kids who are in so much trouble when we get home." 

She heard Nate scoff before his phone started ringing. A new voice came from Connie's left. "Happy, aren't you going to introduce us?"

She turned her head to see an attractive woman with black hair and blonde highlights standing beside her. Before she could say anything, Maddie tugged on her hand. "Mommy, she's pretty!"

Connie chuckled as did the woman while Happy just continued to stare holes through Connie. "Yes, baby, she is. Very pretty." She stuck a hand out to the woman, smiling. "Connie McCloud."

The other woman took her hand after a brief glance at Happy, a small smirk on her face. "Gemma Teller-Morrow." 

Nate tapped his mom on the shoulder and handed her his phone. "Dad wants to talk to you."

Connie sighed and looked at her son. "Tell him I'll call him back later." 

She turned back to say something to Happy but he looked like he was angry about something. He nodded at Gemma and she turned to Connie. "I guess we need to get going. It was nice meeting you, Connie."

Connie smiled and nodded. "You too, Gemma." She started to say something to Happy, but he just nodded and walked away. She huffed out a breath and looked at her kids. "Well, let's get this shopping done. We still have work to do at home."

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Happy quickly loaded Gemma's bags into her car and hopped on his bike before she could start volleying questions at him. He followed her back to the clubhouse, thinking about Connie. He shook his head as he thought that it was just his luck that after all these years, their paths would cross again and she'd be fucking married. He only hoped that whoever she was married to was good to her, because he'd kill the fucker if he wasn't. 

His mouth quirked into a small smile as he thought about her little girl. She'd been curious about his tats, calling them pictures. The older kid seemed like a little shit, but so had he at that age. He would guess that the boy was about thirteen or fourteen, not quite old enough to get into trouble, but close.

He let his mind wander for a moment, wondering what their kids would have looked like if they had been able to make it that far. He shook his head. It was foolish to think about that now when obviously she had a good life. He knew where she was now and would watch out for her and the kids, but that was it. She had a husband to take care of what she needed. He sighed when he pulled onto the lot of Teller-Morrow and saw Gemma get out of her SUV and head his way.

"You wanna tell me what that was back there?"

He shrugged. "Not really, no."

She lifted a brow and he sighed again. "Really? Because you two looked awfully interested in one another."

He shook his head as he walked over to the back of her car. "Water under the bridge, Gem. Let's get this stuff inside. I got shit to do today."

 


	4. Chapter Four

 

"Hi, can I help you with something?"

Connie nodded and smiled at the young woman at the front desk of the police department. "Yes, I was wondering if I could talk to an officer?"

The woman nodded and picked up the phone. "Sure, just one moment. I'll find someone available to help you."

Connie was standing at the desk when she heard someone come in the door behind her. She turned to see the blonde from the day before with Tig and a younger man, this one with a mohawk and tribal tattoos. Connie shook her head and chuckled.

"Boy, you guys are everywhere, huh?"

Tig laughed as the blonde smirked and nodded. "Yeah, you never know where we'll turn up. I saw the kids out in the car. If it's ok with you, I'm gonna send Juice back out to sit with them until you're through. Just to be on the safe side."

Connie just nodded and gave the young man a smile of thanks. "If you think that's best, sure."

The woman at the reception desk got the blonde's attention. "Jax, Chief Unser will be with you in just a few minutes, if you want to take a seat."

He nodded and smiled at the other woman. "Thanks, Sue."

As he and Tig sat down, a young officer came around the front desk and stuck a hand out for Connie to shake. "Deputy Chief Hale. What can I do for you, Ms... ?"

Connie shook his hand and smiled. "Connie McCloud. Nice to meet you. I just moved here from Spokane with my two children and I wanted to stop in and check to see if my TRO was still in effect after moving to California."

She didn't notice Jax and Tig get up and move to chairs closer to where she was standing as Deputy Chief Hale nodded. He reached across the desk and picked up a notepad and pen.

"Name of the person the order is against?"

"Jack McCloud. My ex-husband."

"Your full name?"

"Constance Ann McLoud. Maiden name, Durning."

Hale nodded as he wrote. "How long have you been divorced?"

"Three months. I have a copy of our final divorce decree and the original TRO here." She handed him a thick envelope. "There's also a copy of our marriage license and a copy of the custody papers for the children. I have physical and legal custody. And... " She opened the envelope to check something then nodded. "Yes, and a copy of five police reports for domestic incidents."

Deputy Chief Hale gave her a smile and nodded. "Very good. You're thorough."

Connie smiled and chuckled. "I've learned the hard way to have my ducks in a row, officer."

He nodded and patted her on the shoulder. "I believe you have, Ms. McCloud. Ok, I should have some answers for you in a couple of days. If you'll write down your phone number here, I'll call you when I have something."

Connie nodded her thanks and turned to walk out of the building, giving a wave to Jax and Tig as she went.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jax, Tig, and Juice walked into the clubhouse, the latter going directly to his laptop as the other two grabbed beers and sat down with Clay, Gemma, Happy, Chibs, and Tara. Jax gave his wife and mother a kiss before he turned his head to speak to Juice.

"You ready?"

Juice nodded. "Yeah. His name first."

"Jack McCloud. Her name is Constance Ann McCloud. Maiden name Durning."

Happy's head snapped up. "Why are you running Connie?"

Tig looked at him in surprise. "You know her?"

Happy nodded as Clay interrupted. "Who is she?"

Jax held up a hand as everyone looked his way. "She's not a threat to the club at all, but... ok, me and Tig met her yesterday at the grocery store."

Tig nodded. "And then me and Chibs met her at the diner this morning." He looked around the room. "Very nice woman, by the way."

Gemma spoke up from beside Clay. "Happy and I saw her this afternoon at the store."

Tara looked around at everyone and grinned. "I met her this morning." She turned to Jax. "She's moving into the house next door."

Jac shook his head and chuckled. "Talk about a small fucking world."

Gemma smirked as she looked at Happy. "It's about to get smaller. How do you know her, Hap?"

Happy glared at her before he shrugged. "Went to school with her."

Gemma shook her head. "Nah, that's not all. The looks between you two today weren't "we went to school together". What else?"

He rolled his eyes before answering her. "We might have dated."

By now Tig was grinning from ear to ear. "You might have? Was she like, your girlfriend?"

Happy cut his eyes to Tig and nodded. "Yeah." He then looked at Jax. "Now, why you running her name?"

Jax sighed before shaking her head. "She was at the police station just now. Talking to Hale about making sure her TRO was still active since she moved states. I've got a pretty good hunch that her husband was abusive."

Happy's jaw clenched. "I'll fucking kill him if he touches her."

Clay nodded and joined the conversation. "Find out what you can then bring it to church. We protect our own."

Gemma nodded in agreement as Tig suddenly turned to Happy. "You slept with her, didn't you?" When Happy just stared at him, he started laughing. "Oh my god, you did! Please, tell me about it? And please tell me she was a cheerleader." His words were met by groans and snickers from everyone else as Happy just smirked. Tig shook his head. "Well, if it's protection she needs, I could swing by there tomorrow and... "

Happy gave him a dead stare that stopped him mid-sentence. "No."

"What do you mean, no?"

"I mean no."

"Why not?"

Happy stood up and leaned over to look him in the eyes. "Because I fucking said so, perv. Drop it." He walked behind his best friend and leaned over to speak into his ear. "She was the captain of the cheer squad and very fucking flexible. Probably the best I've ever had."

Tig groaned as Happy walked toward the door. "I fucking hate you, Happy! You're no longer my best friend!"

Happy's only response was to flip him off as he walked out the door.


	5. Chapter Five

 

Connie walked out of the school the next morning feeling a little better about life in general. Nate was now enrolled in the eighth grade at Charming Middle School, one more thing to check off of her to-do list. She looked down at Maddie as they walked across the parking lot and smiled.

"How about some breakfast at the diner?"

Maddie looked up and smiled excitedly. "Can I have pancakes?"

Connie chuckled as she picked her daughter up and placed her in her seat. "I don't see why not."

The duo was in the middle of their breakfast when a now-familiar voice spoke from Connie's side. "Good morning, ladies. Mind if we join you?"

Connie looked over to see Jax and Happy standing at the end of their booth, one smiling, one looking broody. Connie nodded as Maddie jumped up and down in her seat.

"Mr. Happy, sit here!"

Connie chuckled and Jax looked shocked as Happy smirked and made a shooing motion for the little girl to move over so he could sit down. Connie moved over for Jax as the waitress came over for their order. When the two men just ordered coffee, Maddie gave them both a reproving look as she climbed into Happy's lap, making herself at home like she did it all the time.

"Mommy says brefast is the best meal of the day."

Happy nodded, looking serious for a moment before reaching over and sliding her plate of pancakes over in front of himself. "I'll just eat yours then."

Maddy held up a hand in front of his face, making Jax snicker. "No. My have 'em."

Connie tried to hide her smile as she pointed a finger at her youngest. "If you're going to eat them, then sit down like a little lady and stop climbing all over Happy. He's not a jungle gym."

Maddie started to argue but Happy cut her off at the pass, using one large hand to turn her head to look at him. "What did Mommy say, bug?"

Maddie heaved a sigh but got off of Happy to sit back in her seat, waiting for him to slide her plate back over to her before shoving a forkful of pancake into her mouth. With her mouth full to bursting, she pointed at the tiger on Happy's arm. "My have a kitty on me too?"

Connie started to speak as Jax just chuckled, but Happy silenced her with one raised brow. "One, yes you can. I'll draw you one sometime. Two, chew and swallow before speaking, bug." He looked over at Connie with a serious face. "We need to have a chat when little ears aren't around."

Jax nodded. "Yeah, we all need to sit down and talk about why you were at the police station yesterday." He grinned then. "By the way, my old lady will probably be over at some point with my mom for coffee and gossip, just fair warning."

Connie shot him a confused look. "Why would your old lady want to talk to me?"

Jax snickered as Happy grinned over his coffee mug. "Tara is my old lady." When she still didn't two and two together, his grin deepened, showing dimples. "We are the neighbors next door."

Connie smacked herself in the forehead lightly, making the two men chuckle. "Well, that makes sense now, although I must admit that it's a very small world."

Jax nodded in agreement. "I said that yesterday when all the dots started connecting."

Connie nodded as Happy spoke up. "And Gemma is his mom. The lady I was with at the store."

"Ahh ok, it's starting to come together now." She frowned at the two men and shook her head. "That all makes sense, but I still don't see what we have to discuss about my current... situation. I'm handling it just fine."

Happy shook his head and gave her that dead stare that always had one of two effects on her. Depending on the situation, it could either turn her on to no end or piss her off. Right that second, she was leaning toward the latter. "That may be, but we'll all discuss it later, Con."

Jax smirked at Happy as Connie just scoffed at his statement. He stood up and Happy followed, causing Maddie to voice her complaints. "Noooo!! Mr. Happy stay!"

Happy leaned in and patted her on the head with a smile on his face, causing Jax to look on in disbelief. "I'll see you soon, bug, but we gotta go." He nodded at Connie, making her squirm under the intense look he shot her way before both men walked out of the diner. As they were leaving, Connie couldn't help but chuckle to herself at the conversation she overheard between the two men.

Jax smacked Happy on the arm and chuckled. "Man, you're whipped by a three-year-old."

Happy shoved the younger man as he put his sunglasses on. "Shut the fuck up, man."

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Later that evening, after both kids were in bed, Connie sat at the kitchen table with a glass of wine, looking through old photo albums. She smiled sadly at the pictures from her wedding day, wondering not for the first time how she could be so stupid. She thought they were happy, in love, but it was all a lie. He had just wanted her for what she could do for him, not because he loved her. He didn't even want the kids. Of course, at the time, he had acted over the moon, but the truth, like it so often does, found the light of day. 

Her thoughts turned to Happy and she smiled. She wasn't sure why the universe had put him back in her path, but she was beyond fine with it. Connie thought about earlier at the diner and his interaction with Maddie. The usually gruff and silent man had treated her daughter with care and tenderness, something that had obviously shocked Jax, but Connie knew that it was there. 

She'd seen it before in the way he had held her in his arms as they talked about their dreams and how the would conquer the world together, two children in love for the first time and sure they would set the world on fire. Then fate had intervened and set them on separate courses, now coming around full circle again. She wasn't sure what was in store for them, but she'd take what came.

 


	6. Chapter Six

 

The next morning, Connie had just sat down at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee when there was a knock on the front door. She sighed and got up to answer it before whoever it was woke Maddie. She saw Tara and Gemma standing on her front porch, smiling as if this was an everyday occurrence. She grinned and held the door open for them as they came in, Gemma carrying a bakery box.

"Good morning, ladies. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

Tara grinned and pointed to the box as they walked toward the kitchen. "We thought with everything going on that you could use a morning of just chatting."

As Connie got two more mugs down and poured coffee, she nodded. "You're not wrong about that, although I think the hardest stuff is done now. It's just down to emptying boxes and putting things where I want them."

Tara chuckled as Gemma opened the pastry box and got up to get napkins from the counter. "That's the hardest part, isn't it? At least you don't have a man telling you where he wants things." She winced and shook her head. "I'm sorry, that was insensitive of me. I know divorce can't be easy."

Before Connie could answer, she heard her front door open and stuck her head around to see Jax and Happy walking in. She grinned and shook her head on a sigh. "Coffee?"

Both men nodded, Jax grinning. "Please, darlin."

Happy smacked him in the back of the head, making the younger man laugh. "Yeah, babe, coffee is good."

Connie stared at him for a moment as he walked past her to the table before she shook herself. She couldn't believe he had just called her babe, and in front of people. From the looks of things, everyone at the table was just as shocked as she poured their coffee and brought it to them. She sat down as everyone stared at her expectantly. She stared back for a moment before sighing.

"Can I help you with something?"

Happy nodded as he took a drink of his coffee. "Tell us about the TRO."

Connie narrowed her eyes at him and crossed her arms over her chest, causing him to roll his eyes and sigh. "I don't see where that's anyone's business but mine."

Jax shook his head. "Look, we can find everything out for ourselves, but it will just take longer. It'd be a whole lot easier if you just tell us what we need to know."

"That's illegal! You can't look up that kind of information!"

Everyone chuckled at that as Jax grinned. "The word illegal doesn't exactly scare us, darlin, and you'd be surprised what Juice can find out."

Connie blew out a breath and shook her head. "My ex-husband is a little... angry, that's all. I can handle it."

Happy gave her a disbelieving stare. "I'm angry and nobody has a TRO against me."

Connie smirked. "Yet."

He smirked back as Tara laughed out loud. "Keep it up, babe."

"Look, it's really not a big deal, ok? It was a couple of incidents... "

Happy cut in harshly. "Five. Five fucking times, Con. That's not a couple. I'm going to bet there was plenty that wasn't reported, am I right?"

Connie felt angry tears welling up and tried to blink them away. "I really feel like you all are ganging up on me here."

Jax shook his head and gave her a small grin. "Darlin, if we wanted to gang up on you, we would have done this at the clubhouse with the rest of the guys. This is our soft pitch."

Gemma reached out and squeezed Connie's hand. "Baby, we just care about you and want to help, but we can't do that unless we know what's going on. Besides, Happy looks ready to tear something up. Put him out of his misery, huh?"

Connie blew out a breath, not daring to look in Happy's direction as she stared at the wall and gathered her thoughts. She clasped her hands together on the table in front of her and stared at them as she began speaking. "My father was an investment banker. Happy knows how successful he was at it. That's the reason we left San Bernadino in the first place. He started his own company. Anyway, when I got out of school, I went to college and that's where I met Jack." She chuckled quietly. "I thought it was love at first sight, and I guess in a way it was. The moment he heard who my father was, he was in love with me. I thought it was the real thing and he convinced me that it was."

She took a drink of her coffee before continuing. "Dad's only stipulation was that I graduate from college before we married, and then he would give Jack the seed money to start his investment firm, but that was it. Dad believed that a person worked for what they got, they didn't get it handed to them, and Jack was more than fine with that. We were so happy, and the marriage was great. Then he started having trouble with the business, and he started drinking. Mom and dad died in a car accident a month before I found out I was pregnant with Nate."

Happy reached over and covered his two hands with his one large one. "I'm so sorry, baby. I know how much they meant to you."

Connie nodded. "Jack just knew that he was about to come into a huge amount of cash from my inheritance, but dad wasn't stupid by any means. The bulk of the money was put into a trust that I couldn't touch until I was forty, why I don't know. The rest was broken up into monthly allotments."

She shook her head as she remembered the arguments. "Jack was livid. The allotments were enough to live comfortably off of, but Jack wanted more. He always wanted more. Anyway, when I found out I was pregnant with Nate, he was furious. He didn't want kids, although he had said he did when we got married. He said that they would be in the way and we wouldn't be able to travel as much." She shrugged. "I was over the moon and refused to get an abortion. When I was six months pregnant, he pushed me down a flight of stairs, trying to cause a miscarriage. That was the first police report."

She heard Tara curse as Gemma looked at her in sympathy. "Baby, why didn't you leave him then?"

Connie shrugged. "I was stupid, and I believed him when he said he was sorry and that he would change. Things were good for a while after that. He figured out that if I was busy with the baby, he could travel alone." She took a shuddering breath. "That's when the affairs started. He thought I didn't know, but I got the credit card bills every month. There were charges for things that didn't make sense: lingerie that he didn't give me, jewelry that I didn't own, room service for two... anyway, I tried to leave a few times, but he would threaten Nate, or beg me to stay. I was still too stupid to see that it was all about the cash. We did have a good year or so after Maddie was born, until... "

Gemma looked at her and nodded. "Until what, Connie?"

Connie shook her head, not wanting to say it because she knew what Happy's response would be, but she was almost through and they would know everything. "Until he hit her." She heard the muttered oath from Happy but didn't dare look in his direction. "See, he'd always threatened Nate, but he never did anything. We had white carpet in the living room and she spilled juice on it. He backhanded her. I saw red. I thought, nobody hits my child, not her father or anyone. I filed for divorce the next day."

She finally looked in Happy's direction as she heard his chair scrape harshly against the floor as he stood up. He shook his head, his face a mask of fury as he stared down at her. "I need a minute."

He strode through the house and moments later they heard the front door slam. Connie broke down then, sobbing as Gemma and Tara rushed to hold her and calm her down and Jax went after Happy.


	7. Chapter Seven

 

Jax walked out onto the front porch to find Happy sitting on the steps with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. He laid a hand on the other man's shoulder and squeezed.

"You ok, man? That was some heavy shit in there."

Happy shook his head as he lifted it to stare out across the yard. "He laid hands on that baby, man. He tried to kill Connie... Nah, I ain't ok." He stared down at his boots for a moment before continuing. "I lost her twenty years ago, then I found her again. Then, I find out all of this shit."

Jax sighed and sat down beside his brother. "So what are you gonna do now?"

Happy scoffed. "There isn't a question of what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna protect her, any way I have to."

Jax nodded, taking out a cigarette and lighting it before offering Happy one. They sat there and smoked for a few minutes before he spoke, snickering a little. "I've only known her a few days, but Connie... she's stubborn, man. She won't make it easy on any of us."

Happy snorted, shaking his head. "I know, man. She wouldn't be mine if she wasn't, but I got ways around that stubborn shit. This isn't my first taste of that attitude."

Jax chuckled and stood up, glad that his brother was coming back to his normal self. He'd been worried for a minute, wondering just what Happy would be like if he was off the chain. He didn't think he wanted to find out. He'd watched the man torture and kill plenty of men, but those men had never hurt someone Happy cared about. Protecting the club was one thing, protecting someone you love was quite another. "Well, if she's yours like you say, you might want to go in and see to her. She's probably worried that you left, not that she'd let that show. She was crying when I came out."

"Fuck!" Stubbing his cigarette out, Happy stood and strode for the door, walking in to see Gemma holding Connie and Tara nowhere to be found. "Where's Tara?" 

Gemma nodded toward the hall leading to the bedrooms. "Maddie woke up and she went to sit with her for a minute until mama here is ok."

Without another word, Happy drew Connie into his arms and hugged her to him, swaying back and forth and murmuring nonsense in her ear until she calmed down enough to talk. Finally, after several minutes, she lifted her head from where she had buried it in his chest and swiped at the tears on her cheeks.

"I'm sorry. I don't usually cave like that, but this is the first time, other than law enforcement and the courts, that I've told anyone all of it, and I guess I just needed to get the tears out."

Happy shook his head as he kissed her on the forehead. "You got nothing to be sorry for, Con. You needed to get it out, and now that you have, we make some decisions." She looked at him with a frown but he shook his head. "I'm gonna go get Maddie and we'll get her settled in with some cartoons or something so we can all talk some more, ok?"

She nodded and he headed down the hallway. Soon, Tara came walking out and by the time they had another pot of coffee going and Connie had composed herself, Happy came walking out with Maddie in his arms like it was the most natural thing in the world. He sat her on the floor in front of the tv while Connie made her a bowl of cereal and brought it to her. With a promise to behave, Maddie effectively shut out the adults and tuned in to Sofia The First.

They all sat back down at the kitchen table, Happy being the first to speak. "Ok, we have a couple of options here." He took a deep breath and continued. "Our first option, and my favorite, is me and a few of the boys making a trip to Spokane. Quick, clean, done."

Connie stared at him for a moment, the look of horror clear on her face as the other three nodded in agreement with Happy. "That... what you're suggesting sounds a lot like flat out murder."

Happy leveled a look in her direction that had her swallowing hard. "I'm not a choir boy, Con. None of us are. Yeah, I want him dead." He shrugged. "As far as I'm concerned, the prick signed his own death warrant the moment he laid hands on you. I'm not giving him a chance to cause any more damage."

Gemma sighed and leaned toward Connie with a small smile. "Baby, you got a lot to learn about the club, but it's gonna take time. Right now, all you need to know is that any one of these guys would take a bullet for you. What Happy is suggesting makes sense."

Connie shook her head. "I get that, I really do, but he's not a threat anymore. I mean, I have the TRO and... "

Happy snorted and glared at her. "You think that's gonna stop him if he wants to hurt you or one of the kids?" He sighed and shook his head. "Ok, we leave him be for the time being, but baby, I'm telling you straight out, if he comes to Charming, he's not leaving. You get me?" When she nodded quickly, he winked at her. "Ok then, asshole gets to live a little longer. You know how to shoot?"

Connie looked at him in surprise before shaking her head. "No, of course not."

Jax just grinned as Happy rolled his eyes, making the other two women chuckle. "Ok, well, I bet Grandma Gemma would love to watch bug today so I can teach you."

Connie shook her head as Gemma agreed readily. "Oh, I don't know... "

Happy sat forward in his chair and got nose to nose with Connie. "Look, it's simple babe. You don't want him dead, you learn to protect yourself when me and the boys aren't around. Understand?"

Connie blew out a breath before nodding. "Yeah, I understand. I'll get Maddie ready to go."

Happy gave her a smile as she got up to get Maddie dressed for the day. He knew it was a small battle, but he would take all the wins he could get.

 


	8. Chapter Eight

 

Connie shook her head and wondered again how she had been talked into this. She was currently following Happy to the clubhouse while Gemma stayed at the house with Maddie until Nate got home from school. Gemma had promised to bring the kids to Teller-Morrow later, telling Happy and Connie to take their time at the cabin.

They pulled into the lot of TM and Happy pointed to a spot where he wanted her to park. He got off of his motorcycle and walked over as she was getting out of the car. 

"We'll leave your car here and take the bike. I just need to pick up something before we go."

Connie grinned and shook her head. "I don't know how to ride a motorcycle. That's probably not a good idea."

Happy grinned and leaned down. "Come on, Con, live a little. You remember how to hold onto me, right? You'll be fine."

Connie scoffed as Happy chuckled. "Why are you being flirty all of a sudden?"

Happy shrugged. "I now know that there isn't a husband in my way."

Without waiting for a reply, he strode off toward the clubhouse, disappearing inside. Connie leaned against her car and looked around, seeing Tig walk her way. He nodded as he rested a hip beside her on the car. 

"Hap getting you taken care of?"

Connie turned to look at the grinning man beside her. "I could take that several different ways, ya know."

His grin just got wider as he chuckled quietly. "Yeah, I know, but I meant the ex-husband thing."

Connie shook her head and blew out a breath. "Does everyone know my business?"

Tig shrugged as he lit a cigarette. "Yeah, but you're family, you and the kids, so we need to know this shit."

Connie stared at the taller man. "I'm not family, Tig. You've all known me a few days. I'm practically a stranger."

Tig shook his head. "You don't get it, doll. Happy is my brother. That makes him family to me and every other guy, and you mean something to him, so that makes you family." He threw his cigarette butt down and sighed as he crossed his arms. "Stick around long enough, and you'll find out all kinds of shit about us that you would probably rather not know, but one thing you need to understand is that we take care of our own." He shrugged and grinned as he threw an arm around her shoulders. "You belong with us, now. You and the kids, and we won't let anyone hurt any of you. Not anymore."

Tig kissed her on top of the head as Happy came walking out of the building opposite them, carrying a small bag. He stopped to stow it in his saddlebags before walking over to where Tig and Connie were waiting. He smirked at Tig as he pulled Connie away from the other man and under his own arm.

"You pushing up on my girl, man?"

Tig shook his head and laughed as Connie stared up at Happy. "Your girl?"

Tig grinned as he reached over and ruffled Connie's hair. "Nah, man, we were just chatting. Have a nice ride, Connie." 

Tig winked at her as Happy just grinned down at her before taking her hand and leading her over to his bike. Connie eyed the bike nervously as Happy pulled out a helmet and placed it on her head, making sure the chin strap was snug. He rolled his eyes and shook his head as put on his own helmet. "Relax, babe. All you have to remember is to hold onto me and lean when I do. It's easy." He started the bike and it roared to life as he looked over and grinned at her before motioning with his head. "Come on, climb up here."

Connie took a deep breath, and with his shoulders as support, climbed onto the back of the bike. She grasped the sides of his kutte with both hands but that must not have been good enough for Happy. He reached back and gripped her thighs with both hands, pulling her snugly against his body before wrapping her arms around his waist and bringing her hands together above his belt buckle. He squeezed her hands before letting go as if silently telling her to leave them where he put them. She nodded before letting her chin rest on his shoulder.

As they pulled out of the lot and started down the road to take them out of Charming, Connie couldn't help the smile that began to form. She thought to herself that it must have been the most exhilarating feeling she'd ever had. Her body pressed up against Happy's, the vibration of the engine between her legs, the wind blowing past them as they sped down the highway. The difference between the warmth of Happy in front of her and the cool air around her was breathtaking, to say the least.

They rode for a while, Connie didn't know how long and she didn't care. She was enjoying the experience so much that she sighed with disappointment when they finally pulled into a driveway cutting into the woods and parked beside an old hunting cabin.

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As they pulled up and parked at the cabin, Happy couldn't remember the last time he'd had a woman ride bitch behind him, if ever, but he knew that the only one he wanted behind him was Connie. The feel of her body pressed up against his was just enough to drive him crazy, and he was a little disappointed when he cut the engine and she slowly got off the bike. He swung a leg over as she took off her helmet and laid it on the seat, shaking her hair out into a mass of waves.

He tried not to stare but failed miserably as she looked at the cabin then back to him. "So the club owns this place? Is it like a vacation spot or something?"

Happy grinned and nodded. "Yeah, something like that. A guy can bring his family up for a couple days to relax, and sometimes we conduct... business here."

Connie just nodded as he reached into the storage compartment on the bike for the bag he had placed there earlier. He took her hand in his and led her around the cabin to the back, where a makeshift shooting range was set up. He felt her hand squeeze his and felt a little twinge, but ignored it for the moment. He needed a clear head if he was going to teach her to protect herself and the kids. He knew she had questions about him and the club, and he'd answer them as truthfully as he could, but right now, her learning to shoot was the top priority.

 


	9. Chapter Nine

 

Connie watched with rapt attention as Happy stood beside her and shot the target at the end of the backyard. He wielded the gun in his hand with a confidence that was staggering, standing relaxed, as if he did this every day. Connie thought wryly that perhaps he did. She knew nothing about the club or his role in it. He hit the target every time, straight in the middle, and she shook her head, thinking there was no way she'd be able to do that, but she had no problem watching him. This was quite frankly the sexiest thing she had ever seen. Finally, after reloading the gun, he turned to her with a smirk.

"Your turn."

Connie shook her head and grinned. "If you expect me to be that good, I'm afraid you're in for a letdown of epic proportions."

Happy smirked. "Nah, just do what I tell you to, and we'll see what we see." He held the gun out to her and she took it gingerly, making sure to point it at the ground as he stepped behind her. He took one booted foot and lightly tapped her sneaker. "Widen your stance, shoulder width apart." She did as he asked. "Good. Now bring the gun up and sight your target. Arm straight out in front of you, but don't lock your elbow." He reached down and brought her right hand up to cup her left. "Until you get used to it, use both hands." He moved his left hand over hers, placing his index finger over hers on the trigger. "Now, you don't want to pull the trigger, you want to squeeze it. Let me show you the first time." She felt his finger press against hers and suddenly the gun was firing at the target, hitting it square in the middle. "Now, you do it."

Connie sighed as he removed his hand from hers and placed it on her stomach. She could feel it burning through the fabric of her t-shirt and worked hard to keep her breathing steady. She cleared her throat. "Uhh, could you move back?"

She felt him chuckle as he stepped even closer, letting his chest come up against her back. She felt his lips on her ear before he spoke. "Nope. Shoot, Con." She blew out a breath and lined up the sight, doing everything the way he taught her, but as she squeezed the trigger, he licked a line up the side of her neck and she lost her concentration, barely hitting the target at all. She heard him snicker and ground her teeth together. "That sucked, Con. Do it again."

She stepped away from him and glared. "I can't concentrate with you doing... whatever it is you're doing."

Happy shook his head as he stepped closer, pushing the gun down. "You think I wasn't distracted by you staring at me like you wanted to jump my ass? You're going to be distracted, baby. He's not going to stand there quietly while you shoot at him. He's going to be yelling or begging, the kids, if they're there, are going to be screaming and crying. You can't let distractions break your focus. Get angry, because if you're in the situation where you have to pull this gun, then your life is in danger. He's going to hurt you or one of the kids if you don't stop him. Do you understand me?" He suddenly spun her around to face the target and slapped her on the ass. "Now shoot the fucker." With a growl of irritation and without even stopping to think about it, Connie took her stance and fired the gun, hitting it directly in the center. She stared in surprise as she heard Happy chuckle from behind her. "Damn, baby, do that again."

So she did. She shot the target until she was out of bullets, breathing heavily as she brought the gun down. She didn't hit dead center with every shot, but she was certain that she could at least take her ex-husband down if she had to. She barely registered Happy taking the gun from her and laying it on the table beside them. What she did register was him pulling her into his arms and kissing her.

After a moment of shock, she kissed him back, running her hands over his kutte to his shoulders and pulling him closer. With a growl, Happy picked her up and sat her on the table, moving between her legs to get even closer. After a couple of minutes, Happy lifted his head to look down at her, giving her a wink. "Sorry, but that was probably the sexiest thing I've ever seen. I couldn't help myself."

Connie snickered, burying her face in his chest for a moment before looking up at him with a grin. "That's ok, I thought the same thing about you."

He grinned at her before shaking his head. "Well, I got something to say that you probably aren't going to like, so I might as well do it now while I've got you trapped." He looked her in the eye before speaking again. "I want to teach Nate how to shoot."

Connie started shaking her head before he even had the words all the way out. "No. Absolutely not. I can protect the kids, Happy."

Happy nodded. "I know you can, baby, but I would feel better if he knew the basics. I'm not going to give him a gun, but I want him to know how to handle one."

Connie was still shaking her head. "No, Hap. He's just a baby."

Happy grinned at her. "No, Con, he's not. He's a teenager." He shook his head. "Do you trust me?'

Connie blew out a breath. "Yeah, I do, but that isn't the point, Happy. He may be a teenager, but he's still my baby. I... "

Happy cut her off with a finger to her lips. "Look, just give it some thought. It may even help him to know that he can protect his mom and sister, make him feel like he has more control. That isn't a bad thing, Con."

Connie shook her head as she traced the patches on his kutte with a finger. "I'll think about it. What's this patch for?"

Happy looked down and saw that she was running a finger over his Unholy Ones patch. He sighed as he lifted her down from the table. "Yeah, I think we need to go inside and have a conversation, Con. It's time you knew what I am."


	10. Chapter Ten

 

Happy pointed Connie toward a chair as he walked through to the kitchen, coming back with two beers. He handed her one then sat down on the coffee table in front of her. He looked at her for a moment before sighing and shrugging off his kutte.

"Ok, you have to understand that the club is a huge part of who I am. I can't tell you much, but unless you're a member of the club or an old lady, you don't need to know." He shrugged and held up his kutte. "We'll start here." He turned his kutte around and pointed to the top patch. "This is the top rocker. It's the name of the club." He moved to the next. "The colors." He pointed to the bottom. "Bottom rocker. The state you're in." She nodded as he turned it around. "Redwood Original is the charter. We are the original charter for the club. Men Of Mayhem means that I've killed for the club."

Connie nodded before looking at him. "I've seen that patch on the other guys." Happy nodded. "So what's the other one mean?"

Happy sighed before answering her in a quiet voice. "It means that I do the stuff they can't or won't handle." Connie took a deep breath and closed her eyes to give herself a moment to think. She had already come to that conclusion but to have him spell it out for her was another thing altogether. In her years of marriage, she had learned to read between the lines, and she knew there was a lot that Happy wasn't telling her. She opened her eyes to see Happy staring at her with an unreadable expression on his face. He lifted his shirt and pointed to a group of smiley faces on his side. "These are what I am, Con."

Connie sighed before leaning forward and putting her hand over the tattoos. "That's  _what_  you are, not  _who_ you are, Hap." She gave him a grin. "You do these things for the club, right?"

Happy nodded. "Yeah, and my family. They're my family, as much as ma is. As much as you and the kids are." He sighed and shook his head. "You have a decision to make, Con. I want us to be together, to be a family. I know it's been years and I just met the kids and they just met me, but eventually, I want that. You have to decide if  _you_  want that. Being an old lady is different than being a girlfriend. If we get that far, you'd have the choice of either knowing everything or knowing nothing. There is no in between."

Connie nodded, looking over his shoulder to avoid eye contact for a few minutes. Finally, she looked him in the eye and nodded. "I understand, and I get it, really."

Happy nodded, looking relieved. "Good. You need to take some time, decide what you want. Ya gotta know though, no matter what you decide, me and the club will be there to help you out or protect you. That isn't dependent on you being mine, ok?" When she nodded, he leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss. "I guess we need to head back. Bug is probably driving Gemma nuts by now."

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When they pulled into the TM lot, Tig and Jax walked over to greet them. Tig nodded as Jax grinned and pointed toward the clubhouse. "Ma's got the kids inside. I think Opie is teaching Nate how to play pool and Maddie was talking Piney's ear off."

Connie chuckled as Tig handed Happy a flip phone and the two men walked back inside. Happy turned to her and handed her the phone. Connie shook her head. "Hap, I have a phone."

He nodded, placing the phone in her hand. "I know, Con, but this is a direct line to me and the guys. We're all in it and I should be the first number in the speed dial. If for some reason I don't answer, you go down the line until someone does. I mean it. You keep this and the gun with you at all times, ok?"

Connie nodded as she tucked the phone into her pocket. "Ok, I understand."

Happy pulled her into his side as they walked inside the building. Before they were even fully inside, they could hear Maddie screaming for Mr. Happy. She launched herself at Happy's legs like a missile, making him laugh as he picked her up and set her on his hip. "Hey, bug. Were you good for Gemma?"

Maddie nodded her head rapidly, making Connie laugh. "Yup. Gamma Gemma said I can play here any time I want to. Can I mommy?"

Connie grinned as she ruffled Maddie's hair. Gemma walked up with a smirk on her face. "We'll see, ok?"

Maddie nodded again before pointing at the bar. "Mommy, daddy sent you fowers!"

Gemma grimaced as Connie and Happy both eyed the huge bouquet of red roses sitting on the bar. "Yeah, I brought them here. I didn't think you'd want them at the house."

Nate came running over and in an uncharacteristic move, hugged Connie tightly around the waist. "There was a card with them, mom. We're not going back, right?"

Gemma handed Connie a small envelope and she opened it with shaking hands to see her ex-husband's messy handwriting.

_**I want my family back. Soon.** _

Connie quickly shoved the card back in the envelope only to have Happy snatch it out of her hands. Gemma looked at her apologetically. "Nate grabbed it before I could read it, but by his reaction, I'm guessing it's not good."

Connie shook her head and tried to smile. "It's fine, really." She took Maddie from Happy, not looking him in the eye as she patted Nate on the back. "We need to get going. Tell everyone thank you and goodbye, now."

Once the kids had said their goodbyes, Connie ushered them out to the car and they were gone. Happy stood looking at the flowers for a moment before he picked them up and hurled vase and all against the wall. He shoved the card into Gemma's hands and looked around the room. 

"He's not getting them back."


	11. Chapter Eleven

 

That night, after the kids were fed and put to bed, Connie collapsed on the couch with a glass of wine. She hadn't eaten anything at dinner, still too shook up to touch the pizza she had ordered. As she sat there staring blankly at the wall, she finally let the tears fall that had been threatening ever since she read the note with the flowers. Before she realized it, she was curled up in a fetal position, sobbing.

Why? Why was he doing this? It was obvious he had no interest in her or the kids, so it had to be about the money. She just wanted to be happy and not have to look over her shoulder every time she left the damn house. She dried her eyes and thought about earlier that day with Happy. She had been content for the first time in what felt like forever. If she were going to be honest, she hadn't felt that since she left Happy standing in her parent's driveway all those years ago.

She shook her head as she replayed their conversation at the cabin. She wanted what he wanted, and she knew that he was already closer to the kids than their own father had ever been, but how did she justify dragging him and the club into her mess of a life? It was her mess to clean up, not theirs, and she would, somehow. She would have to if she ever wanted a life with Happy because she wouldn't bring him into her family drama, not if she could help it.

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_A Week Later_

Connie looked out the peephole before sliding the deadbolt over and opening the door. Tara was on the other side, looking serious as she eyed Connie.

"Hey, Tara. Did you need something?"

Tara scoffed and nodded as she stepped forward, crowding Connie back into the living room and shutting the door behind her. She quirked a brow at the new locks but said nothing as she plopped down in a chair. "Yeah, I needed to come in and check that you were ok. Nobody's heard from you in a week, Connie. Where have you been?" She stopped short when she looked around the room and saw that floral arrangements covered every available surface. "Jesus Christ, Connie! He's escalating, isn't he?" When Connie just nodded, Tara pulled out her phone. "Why didn't you tell someone? I need to call Happy and... "

Before Tara could move, Connie had pulled the gun Happy gave her from behind her back and pointed it at her neighbor. "No! I can't let you do that, Tara. Put the phone down. Please."

Tara eyed Connie as she laid her phone on the table and held her hands up in front of herself. "Connie put the gun down sweetie. You and I both know that you aren't going to shoot me." She turned her head to look around the room. "Where's Maddie at?"

Connie held the gun steady with both hands as she cocked her head at Tara. "She's taking a nap." She gave a short laugh as she shook her head. "I don't know what else to do, Tara. He's coming for me. I know he is. What do I do? I can't involve Happy in this. If anything happened to him... " She shook her head as if to clear it. "No, he can't know, do you understand me?"

Tara nodded her head quickly as Connie slowly lowered the gun and collapsed on the couch. Tara leaned forward in her chair. "What happened Connie? How do you know he's coming?"

Connie stared into space, slowly rocking back and forth. "The flowers that were delivered today. The delivery driver said the man picked them out especially, that it took him forever to find the flowers that he wanted." She looked at Tara. "He's here, in Charming."

"Oh, shit. Babe, you gotta let Happy know. He and the boys will... fuck! They're leaving for a patch over today, they won't be back until Sunday."

Connie just shrugged. "I'll handle it. I know what I have to do."

Tara shook her head. "Sweetie, you're scared and not thinking clearly. You can't do this, not with the kids here."

Connie leaned forward, nodding in agreement. "The cabin. Can you take the kids to the cabin this weekend?"

Tara shook her head. "You know how much trouble we'll be in if the guys find out that we did this behind their backs?"

Connie shook her head. "What's the difference? If it works, all they'll do is yell at us for not letting them know. If it doesn't work... well, it won't matter then, will it?" She stood up and walked over to a desk in the corner of the living room, coming back with a small stack of papers in her hands. "This is my will. If something happens to me, the house will go to Happy. I've named him as guardian... I didn't think he would mind. The trust fund will be split between Nate and Maddie, with Happy overseeing it until they reach the age of twenty-one." She handed the papers to Tara with a small grin. "I feel much better knowing that they will be taken care of. I know the club will help watch over them." She felt the tears running down her face and swiped at them. "Happy, Nate, and Maddie... they're the only family I have left. I would like to know that they're all together."

Tara eyed the papers. "Your ex-husband doesn't share custody?"

Connie shook her head. "No. He didn't want the kids. They were never part of his plan." She laughed bitterly. "He doesn't even really want me, but if something happens to me, he could try to get to the money, and I don't want that. This way, everything is legally Happy's and the kid's."

Tara stood up and hugged Connie to her tightly, kissing her on the forehead. "Well, if nothing else, I no longer doubt that you are indeed Happy's old lady. You got balls, my friend." She sighed as she let go and stepped back. "How about a cup of coffee while you explain the plan to me?"


	12. Chapter Twelve

 

Later that night, Tara was waiting for Jax to come in from the club. She had already put Abel down for the night and was pacing the floor, working over the plan in her mind. It was simple enough in theory, but there were a lot of unknown variables. If it didn't happen like Connie thought it would, she would either be dead or they would have to come up with a Plan B. She heard the lock turn on the front door and plastered a welcoming smile on her face, trying to hide the nerves that she was feeling.

Jax walked in the living room and smiled at her before hugging and kissing her hello. "Hey, babe, how was your day?"

Tara grinned and shrugged. "Oh, the usual. How was yours?"

Jax grinned. "Eventful." He motioned with a hand towards Connie's house and Tara braced herself. She had never thought of herself as a good liar, and she could only hope that Jax was too tired to catch on to anything out of place. "Hey, did you talk to Connie? Hap's been trying to call her all day and she hasn't answered. He's starting to worry."

Tara nodded quickly. "Yeah, she's fine, just busy. I'm sure he'll hear from her soon."

Jax nodded, looking relieved. "Good. I gotta tell ya, he's got it bad, babe. She's all he can talk about."

Tara felt her stomach clench but smiled anyway. She knew Happy, and probably Jax, would never forgive her if something happened to Connie while they were gone and it could have been avoided. Hell, the whole club would probably be after her. She didn't even want to think about Gemma's response.

She waited until he had gotten himself some dinner and a beer before sitting beside him on the couch. Tara tried not to fidget, knowing that Jax would catch it right away. "Hey, since you guys are going to be gone for a couple of days, do you think it would be ok if I took Abel to the cabin for the weekend?"

Jax nodded as he took a sip of beer. "Sure, I don't see why not. Why don't you ask mom to go with you? Maybe Connie and the kids? That way, me, Happy, and Clay could just meet you guys up there when we're finished."

"No!" She cleared her throat when Jax looked at her, surprised by her sudden outburst. "I mean, I thought it would give me and Abel some bonding time. You know, with work and the club, I haven't been with him much lately."

Jax grinned and leaned over to kiss her before standing up. "Sure, babe, whatever you wanna do. I'm gonna get a shower then hit the bed." He winked at her as he made his way into the kitchen with his now empty plate. "Meet ya there?"

Tara grinned and nodded. "Yeah, just let me lock up and everything."

She breathed a sigh of relief as he walked down the hall toward the bathroom. She slumped against the wall, thinking that Phase One was in effect.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Connie watched her kids bickering over the last piece of bacon and had to hold back tears. Now was not the time to wonder if she would ever see them again. She shook herself and put a smile on her face as she reached over and tore the bacon in half, handing a piece to each child.

"You guys all packed? Got everything you're going to need?"

Maddie nodded happily as Nate just eyed his mother suspiciously. He'd been doing that a lot lately and Connie knew he suspected something. "Yeah, but I still don't understand why you aren't going with us."

Connie took a sip of her coffee as she shrugged. "I just thought a weekend alone sounded good. I can catch up on some writing and gardening, that type of thing. Just relax. Besides, I think you'll have fun at the cabin."

Maddie smiled as she swallowed her bacon and took a sip of her milk. "Is Mr. Happy going to be there?"

Connie shook her head, making her youngest frown in disappointment. "No, I'm afraid not. He had something to do this weekend, but I'm sure you'll see him when he gets back, ok?"

Maddie nodded. "How about Gamma Gemma?"

Connie shook her head again as she got up to put her plate in the sink. "No, I don't think so. If not, I'll take you over to see her Monday, alright? Now, go get your stuff. Tara will be here any minute."

The kids started to walk out of the kitchen, but Nate turned around to look at his mom. "Everything ok, mom? You seem weird."

Connie nodded, plastering her best smile on her face. "Yeah, everything's fine, baby. Don't worry about anything and have fun, ok?" He nodded and started to turn but Connie caught his arm and pulled him to her for a hug. "I love you, Nathaniel. Never forget that, ok?"

She felt him squeeze her tighter for a moment before letting go. "I love you too, mom."

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jax walked into the clubhouse and straight to Happy, slapping some papers down on the bar in front of the other man. "Any idea why my wife would have a copy of Connie's last will and testament laying around our house?"

Happy shrugged as he leafed through the papers. "How the hell should I know? Our women are pretty tight. I guess it's not totally weird. Did you ask her?"

Jax snorted and shook his head. "And give her a chance to lie to me? Nah, man."

Tig shot Jax a look and shook his head. "You're being a little suspicious, aren't you? I mean, she could be taking it to the lawyers for Connie or something. You don't know, man."

Both men stopped to look at Happy as he spoke up. "Holy shit! She leaves everything to me. The kids, the house, the trust fund... everything. What the actual fuck?"

Jax shook his head. "Man, I'm telling you, something is strange. I asked Tara if she'd talked to Connie, and she said yeah, and that she was fine, just busy. Too busy to return her boyfriend's phone call? I don't think so. Then, Tara wants to know if she can take Abel to the cabin this weekend. I say sure, but why don't you take mom and Connie?" He paused to look around at the men standing around listening. "She practically jumped down my throat, saying she wanted alone time with Abel. How much bonding time do you need with an infant?" He pointed at the papers. "Then this morning, I find these in the back of a drawer in the kitchen."

Happy shook his head before slamming a hand down on top of the papers. "Fuck! Ok, I agree that something's going on, but we're gonna have to hope that it keeps until we get back because we got to get going." He stood up and made for the door. "Come on. The sooner we go, the sooner we can get back and I can find out what the fuck is going on with my old lady."


	13. Chapter Thirteen

 

Connie sat on the couch in the dark living room, the only light coming from the front window as she waited. She'd been waiting for a day now, and she hoped that soon, he would end it. She wanted this over with before the club got back and she knew that she was running out of time. Every time a car drove past, she stiffened up, wondering if it was Jack, but they continued on, leaving her alone again in the dark.

She had run the plan through her head over and over, and for the most part, it was full-proof, except of course, for having to wait for him to come to her. She could have called him, but her gut told her that he was coming and that she wouldn't have to wait much longer. The plan was simple really: get Jack to come to her and end him in any way that she could that wouldn't draw attention. She knew that she couldn't shoot him and then call the police because the gun that Happy had given her to use was unregistered. She didn't want anything to blow back on the club, so she would do this the hard way.

She knew that she should have called Happy but she honestly didn't know what she would say to him. Should she say goodbye just in case? Should she tell him that she loved him? She shook her head, thinking that anything she said in this state would cause him to be suspicious, and she didn't need him coming home early because he was worried. She decided to write him a letter, hoping that if something happened to her, he would read it and understand. She got up and moved to the small desk in the corner, turning the lamp on and sitting before taking a pen and paper out of the drawer.

_Dear Happy,_

_If you're reading this, I'm more than likely gone, and if that's the case, I want you to know just how very sorry I am. I know you said that you would protect me, and you'll never know how much I appreciate the fact that you would, but this isn't your fight. I want you to know, first and foremost, that this wasn't your fault. At all. I came up with this plan deliberately and after a lot of thought. Please don't blame Tara either. She was just being a dear friend and doing what I asked her to do, much like you would do for one of your brothers. Now, as I sit here waiting for Jack, I know that I need to tell you a few things, just in case. I have left the kids in your care, as well as the house. I have also left you in charge of the trust funds for the children until they reach maturity. That's all spelled out in my will, along with my burial arrangements. What I need you to know most of all is that I love you. I have loved you since we were teenagers and I will continue to love you into the next life. Don't ever doubt that. If I'm dead, then know that I died being your old lady. I also need you to know that you're a good man, Happy Lowman. Don't ever doubt that either._

_Yours always,  
Connie_

She laid the pen down as she heard the knob turn on the front door. She took a deep breath as she heard the voice of the one man she'd been waiting for.

"Honey, I'm home!"

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Happy slapped his phone shut and growled under his breath. He'd been calling Connie at every stop over and over and she still wasn't answering. Jax was getting nowhere with Tara and Gemma reported that Connie's house was dark as if nobody was there, which made no sense at all. He knew she wouldn't leave town without saying goodbye, and although it was starting to get dark, the kids should still be up and running around.

Chibs sat down beside Happy and lit a cigarette. "Still no luck?"

Happy shook his head. "Nah, man. I got a bad feeling about this. You don't think she'd run do you?"

Chibs thought about it for a minute before shaking his head. "No, I don't, and neither do you. What I do think is just as bad though."

Happy cursed under his breath and stood up to stride over to Jax and Opie. "Call your wife then give me the phone."

Jax did as he asked, handing him the phone while it was ringing. When Tara answered, she sounded out of breath. "Baby, I just talked to you like five minutes ago!"

"This isn't Jax, this is Happy."

"Happy! Why are you calling?"

What he heard in the background made his anger go up another notch. "Why the fuck is bug with you? Is Connie there?"

Now he had everyone's attention as they gathered around for information. Tara said nothing for a minute. "No... no, she isn't here."

"Then I repeat, why the FUCK is bug with you?"

"Now, Happy, I can... "

He cut her off, beyond angry now. "Don't! Just don't, Tara! Where is Connie?"

"She just wanted some time to herself, so I offered to bring the kids with me for the weekend, that's all."

Happy scoffed, shaking his head. "Was that before or after you told Jax you wanted to go alone? And why do you have a copy of her will?"

"How do you know that?"

"Don't worry about how I know! Where the fuck is my old lady?"

Tara was silent for a couple of minutes, causing Happy to let his mind run away with him, although he wasn't prepared for what she said next. "She wanted to do this alone. She didn't want you or the club involved. She said it was her mess and she needed to clean it up before she started anything with you."

Happy's legs gave out as he heard a door shut on Tara's side of the call. He shook his head as he sat down heavily beside Jax. "What was her mess, Tara? What is Connie doing?"

He barely heard her when she spoke again, and he was pretty sure she was crying when she answered him. "She's gonna kill him, Happy. She's gonna try to kill Jack."


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter could be triggering. Reader discretion is advised. Abuse and violence.

 

Clay shook his head as he watched Happy pace back and forth across the floor. "We're too far away. We'd never get there in time."

Happy nodded woodenly. "I know. I... she could be dead already. If she is... I can't even... "

Jax clapped Happy on the shoulder and looked him in the eye. "Hey, she isn't, ok? Don't go down that road just yet." He shook his head and turned to his step-father. "Can we send mom over there? Maybe with Unser? At least we would know and maybe they could get there before this asshole shows up." He looked at the clock on the wall before continuing. "If we leave now, we can be there in a few hours."

Clay nodded and reached into his kutte for his phone. He quickly called Gemma, relaying the information and telling her to go in armed and to take Wayne with her.  If there was anything to be dealt with, the chief of police would keep everything quiet for the club. When he got off the phone, he looked around at the men sitting in the clubhouse at Indian Hills. What was supposed to be a patch over party had turned into a waiting game. He only hoped that everything came out in their favor.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Connie stared unseeingly at the wall opposite her. She was presently sitting on the floor, her back against the wall and elbows resting on her knees, smoking a cigarette and trying to sort out the events of the last few hours. If she looked around herself, the scene that she would see would show her the culmination of the events, but the events themselves were a little fuzzy. She tried to think hard, letting her head drop and her eyes close as it all came rushing back to her.

_"Honey, I'm home!"_

_Connie's back stiffened as the all too familiar voice of her ex-husband rang out from the front door. She slowly turned to face him, feeling a sense of calm come over herself as if she subconsciously knew that everything would work out the way it was meant to. She gave him a small smile._

_"I see that. You know you aren't supposed to be here, Jack, but then that never stopped you before did it?"_

_Jack smiled and shook his head as he walked closer to her. When she didn't shrink back from him, he lifted a brow. "Of course not, pumpkin. You know all I've ever wanted was our family back together like it should be. Where are my progeny?"_

_Connie snorted and shook her head. "They aren't here. Who are you trying to kid, Jack? You know as well as I do that you never wanted those kids and you won't get them now."_

_Jack shook his head. "Connie, you got it all wrong. I will get them, because we're a family and families stick together, dammit!" He started pacing then, looking more agitated by the second. Of course, Connie knew what that meant: he was about to go off the deep end. "You never learned, Connie. You always thought you could outsmart me. Divorce, taking my children, moving to another state, a restraining order... as if any of those things would keep me from following you." Suddenly, she felt the sting as he backhanded her across the face, sending her back into the wall behind her. "And now a biker?! Really, Connie?" He shook his head and grabbed her by the hair, throwing her across the room into the opposite wall. "You'll just spread your legs for anyone, won't you? Well, anyone but your husband!"_

_Connie spit blood onto the floor as he backhanded her once more before shoving her away. She looked and saw that she was near the kitchen, so she moved in that direction, hoping that he would follow. Before she could get there, she felt his hand in her hair again, pulling her toward him. He turned her so that they were face to face: hers serene considering the circumstances, and his twisted up with rage. She could see the hatred in his eyes as he slowly smiled at her. "Let me tell you how this is going to go down, baby. You're going to die tonight and then my kids are coming with me. I'm not fucking stupid. I know that I can't touch the money, but as their father, I will have control of their trust funds." Her eyes widened as his smile got bigger. "How tragic it will be, and I'll have to play the grieving father and husband for a while, but it's a small price to pay, isn't it? My poor wife, consumed by the guilt of leaving me with our children, takes her own life, then later, my beautiful children dying in a house fire. Accidentally of course."_

_He pushed her away from him and she moved into the kitchen, quickly grabbing a butcher knife from the block on the counter. Connie held the knife against her leg, praying that he wouldn't see it until she wanted him to. "I won't let you hurt my kids, Jack. This is between us. I'll sign all of the money over to you. Just let us go."_

_Jack stepped closer, crowding Connie into the sink behind her back. "No, sweetheart, that won't work. It would be too suspicious. This way, I can be rid of your cold, unfeeling ass, and be rich at the same time. Win, win." He pulled a small handgun from his pocket and pointed it at her. "Do you think your biker boyfriend will mourn you?" He shrugged, grinning. "Eh, it doesn't matter. He doesn't matter. Ya know, I should have set him up for your murder. Maybe I will, just for fun." He leaned in close, so close that Connie could feel his breath on her lips. "Well, baby? Are you ready to die?"_

_Connie tilted her head to the side and moved her arm quickly, watching the surprise come over his face as he dropped the gun and it clattered to the floor. "I don't know, Jack. Are you?"_

 


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning! Violence and a lot of blood.

 

Connie turned her head and looked at Jack laying beside her on the floor before looking around the room. She shook her head and bit her lip as she took in the splashes of blood on the walls and appliances, the pools of it now congealing on the floor and on her clothes. She felt disgusting like she had taken a bath in the red liquid, her hair stiff with it and the coppery smell invading her nose. 

Looking back at the body of her ex-husband, she tilted her head in thought. She thought that she might have gotten carried away, but with every stab, she had felt another of his lies disappear. She had finally been able to let go of the fear, the betrayal and the hurt that he had caused her and her children. She wasn't sorry. She knew that it had finally come down to one of them walking out, and she wasn't a bit regretful that it would be her.

She heard footsteps running into the house and looked up calmly when a man in a police uniform that she had never seen before stopped at the threshold of the kitchen. She watched as he shook his head and looked at her in shock.

"Gemma, kitchen!" She lit a cigarette as the man stepped closer and stooped down beside her. "Are you hurt?"

Before she could answer, Gemma appeared beside the man, turning white as she looked around the room. "Jesus Christ!"

Connie grinned at that, shaking her head. "I might have gotten carried away." She looked at the man. "Are you going to arrest me?"

The man gave her a small grin and shook his head. "No, sweetheart. I'm here to help you." He turned to Gemma. "Call the guys, let them know to come in through the back door." He turned back to Connie, who was still sitting there calmly, smoking a cigarette. "I think she might be in shock."

Gemma snorted at that as she pulled her phone out of her pocket. "Good eye, Wayne. What exactly gave you the first clue? The glassy stare or the complete disinterest in the dead body and sea of blood on the floor?"

Connie looked around the room again, shaking her head. "Happy's gonna be so mad at me." She quirked a lip into a half smile. "Damn, this is gonna be a bitch to clean up."

The man Gemma had called Wayne looked at her and chuckled, shaking his head. "You got a lot of blood on you, Connie. Any of it yours?"

She nodded, opening up her hand and showing it to him. "I must have hit bone because the knife stuck and my hand slipped. It cut me."

Wayne gingerly took her hand in his and looked over the cut. "I think you'll be ok."

Before anyone else could say anything, they all heard the thunder of approaching motorcycles. Connie looked at Gemma and winced. "So how much trouble do you think I'm in?"

Gemma rolled her eyes and grinned at the younger woman. "A lot, but the fact that you survived should help."

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Happy ran around the garage to the back as he saw Gemma stepping out onto the deck from the kitchen. She held out a hand to stop him from barrelling right past her. 

"She's in shock, so don't go in there yelling at her. Save it for later." She looked around at the others standing behind Happy. "Brace yourselves. It's bad."

Happy took a deep breath before stepping around Gemma and into the kitchen. He wasn't prepared for the sight in front of him and he almost went to his knees. There was Connie, sitting on the floor beside the body of what he assumed was her ex-husband, calmly smoking a cigarette and staring into nothing. She was covered in blood, a fact that turned his stomach. The blood didn't usually bother him, but the sight of his Connie sitting there covered in it was enough to make him sick.

He heard the guys muttering behind him as he carefully walked around the pools lying on the floor to get to Connie. He stooped down in front of her as her eyes met his. Well, she was looking in his direction, but he couldn't be sure if she actually saw him. "Con? Baby, are you hurt?"

Connie slowly shook her head. "No. You mad?"

Tig snorted from behind Happy and slapped him on the back. "Yeah, you mad, bro?" Happy turned to glare at the other man and he just grinned unrepentantly. "Sorry, I couldn't resist."

Happy just shook his head and looked at Gemma. "I'm gonna carry her into the bathroom. Can you help her get a shower?"

Connie shook her head. "No, I need to clean this up."

Jax stooped down beside Happy and gave her a small smile. "We got this, babe. You go with mom and Happy, ok?"

Connie nodded and slowly stood up so that Happy could pick her up. As he started out of the room, Gemma stopped him with a shout. "Boots! Take them off. You know how hard blood is to get out of carpet?"

Happy rolled his eyes as the other guys started laughing. Tig leaned down to untie his boots so he could kick them off before stepping onto the carpet. He could feel Connie laughing and looked down at her. "What's so funny, Con?"

She shook her head and grinned. "I just killed a man and she's worried about the carpet." She sobered quickly, staring off over his shoulder. "I just killed a man."

Happy squeezed her tighter to him and nodded as he continued on down the hall to the bathroom. "Yeah, but the fucker sure had it coming."

Connie nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, he did."

 


	16. Chapter Sixteen

 

Once Gemma had taken over with Connie, Happy walked back down the hall to find all of the guys gathered around the table, reading along with Tig as he held a paper in his hands. He turned at the sound of Happy coming in, shaking his head and handing him the paper.

"Man, if you don't marry this woman... " Happy watched in astonishment as Tig actually teared up, wiping his face before he continued. "She was sure that she was going to die, man. Do you get me? She set all of this up, knowing that he was going to try to take her out, and she did it anyway, to protect you and the club. She left this for you."

Happy took the paper and read it slowly, feeling his chest get tighter the farther along he got. His face showed no emotion, but at the end, he cleared his throat as he carefully folded up the paper and tucked into the inner pocket of his kutte. 

"Where are we on clean up?"

Bobby motioned to the body, now rolled up in a tarp. "We got him picked up. She damn near dismembered him." He grinned as he handed Happy a small handgun. "Found this under the body." He shook his head in amazement. "Dude had a gun on her and she did this. That is one badass woman, my friend."

Jax spoke up. "I sent Sack to the store for cat litter to get the blood up off the floor, then it's just a matter of cleaning the walls and shit."

Happy nodded before a thought hit him. The kids. "Shit, man. When is Tara supposed to be back with the kids?"

Jax grinned. "Don't worry, man. She's keeping the kids at the cabin another night. Connie will just have to call Nate off from school in the morning."

Happy nodded as he breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that soon, the adrenaline would wear off and Connie would probably be a mess. He loved them, but he didn't really need the kids to deal with on top of everything else at that moment.

Before he could say anything else, Gemma came walking in from the hall. "I got her in bed, but I think the shock is starting to wear off. She's pretty upset." She leaned into Clay as he put an arm around her. "I think she'd rather have you than me."

Clay nodded. "Go take care of your old lady, Hap. We got the rest of this. You won't know anything happened in here."

Happy nodded before looking down at his own clothes and seeing the blood. "Can someone grab me some clothes from the clubhouse?" Gemma nodded and he headed back down the hall. He knew the guys would have the mess cleaned up soon, so his job now was to take care of Connie. He opened the bedroom door and saw that she was burrowed under the covers. She lifted her head when he shut the door and walked her way.

"Tara's gonna keep the kids at the cabin another night. You'll have to call the school in the morning. The guys are almost done cleaning up. You need anything?"

Connie shook her head. "No. Can you lay with me for a while before you leave?"

Happy sighed as he shrugged his kutte off and laid it on the chair, following with his boots, shirt, and pants. He walked over to the bed and pulled the covers back. "I'm not leaving, babe. You got me all night, ok?"

Connie nodded as he pulled the covers back up. She sniffed and buried her head in his chest. "I thought you'd leave. I know you're angry with me."

Happy let out a slow breath as he ran his fingers through her hair. "I was, yeah, but... Tig found the note you left." He scoffed and shook his head. "You're fucking goodbye note. I get why you did what you did, but Con, you can't do shit like that anymore. This was it, ok? If I lost you, I'd be wrecked, baby. That could have been you lying on that floor in there. How do you think I would have felt finding that?"

Connie shook her head as her fingers traced the tattoos on his chest. "I know, but I was just trying to keep everyone safe." She wiped her eyes with her hand. "I killed someone tonight, Happy. How do I deal with that?"

Happy sighed and pulled her tighter against him, letting his hand rest on her hip. "Did you mean what you said in the note?"

"Yeah, I did."

"Then you did what you had to do, period. You don't let that eat at you, babe. He would have shot you if you hadn't gotten to him first, and we both know it. You did good, little girl."

She just nodded and they lay there for a while, both in their own thoughts. Finally, she spoke up from her position on his chest. "You haven't asked."

Happy frowned into the dark, lightly stroking her back. "Asked what, Con?"

"If I've made a decision."

Happy smirked before suddenly rolling over and pinning her beneath him. "Yeah, I know, but I already got my answer."

In the dim light being cast by the streetlight outside, Happy could see Connie frowning up at him. "How is that?"

Happy shrugged. "The note. You said that you would die as my old lady. So, you answered me."

Connie grinned and shook her head. "You tricked me."

Happy stared down at her before leaning down for a kiss. "Nah, but baby, you're mine. You've always been mine." He nuzzled her neck with his nose before speaking quietly in her ear. "I've loved you since the first time I saw you, Constance, and I always will."

Connie stared up at him with tears in her eyes before she grinned and pulled his head down. "Well, then, you should kiss your old lady."


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut, cause isn't it about time?

 

Connie reached over and slapped the alarm clock before lifting her head and blinking her eyes to clear them. It took a moment, but everything came rushing back to her as she sat up. She looked beside her, halfway expecting to see an empty bed, but was pleasantly surprised to find Happy laying on his stomach, dead to the world. The sheet had ridden down to his waist and her fingers itched to touch the smooth skin of his back, but instead, she sighed and swung her legs over the side of the bed and got up, trying to make as little noise as possible.

She stumbled down the hall to the kitchen and was astounded when she flipped the light on. It was spotless. If she hadn't been here, she would never know that anything happened in the room. She shook her head and thought that she owed Gemma and the club big time for taking care of her mess. After making coffee, she quickly called the school, telling them that Nate had a stomach ache and wouldn't be at school today. She saw that she had a text from Tara, telling her that she would bring the kids home later in the day and not to worry.

As she was reaching up into the cabinet for two coffee mugs, she felt a hand on her waist and lips on her neck. She sighed, leaning back against Happy as the hand that wasn't holding her close to his body inched down to the hem of her sleep shirt. "Need to go to work?"

She felt him shake his head as he suddenly bit down softly on the spot right below her ear, sucking hard before letting go. "Nope, bed was cold. Why is that?"

She grinned, holding in the moan that threatened to come out as his hand trailed back up her thigh and under her shirt, resting on her hip as his fingers tugged on the side of her panties. "I had to call Nate off from school and text Tara back."

Happy just nodded as his fingers slid around to lay on her stomach, the bare skin contracting under his touch. "When are the rugrats due back?"

Her breath stalled in her throat as his hand slid down and between her legs, resting lightly over her panties. She heard him snicker as her mind stumbled over the obvious answer to his question. "Uhh... she said around noon."

She heard Happy growl low in his throat, and the sound made her instantly wet as her mind traveled back in time to when they were younger. He had always been insatiable, and she knew instinctively that she was about to find out if he still was. "That leaves about four hours for daddy to make mommy scream his name."

Connie let out a loud moan as his fingers were suddenly no longer idle. His hand slid down into her panties as the other moved up under her shirt to grasp her breast. She white-knuckled the counter as he slowly began to thrust one finger inside her, making her breathing quicken. "Ohhh, Happy!"

She felt him chuckle against her ear before his whispered words made her whimper with need. "You remember, baby? God, I used to love to fuck you, Con. You were the best I've ever had, baby, but what I really loved? Was finger fucking this hot pussy. You coming all over my hand as you screamed my name and begged me to take you. Then I'd bury my head between those sexy legs and go to fucking town." 

He slid another finger into her and she cried out, clutching his arm with one hand, her nails digging into his skin. She let her head fall back to his shoulder as she rocked her hips. "Please, Happy!"

He bit her on the shoulder as he inserted another finger, stretching tissue that hadn't been touched in so long. His thumb was resting on her clit, not moving, just waiting. "What do you want baby?"

Connie's breath caught on a sob as his thumb finally moved, making lazy circles around her clit as he thrust three fingers into her hard. "Please Happy... fuck me. I need to feel you."

He growled as he thrust his hips forward against her ass, pinning her between him and the counter. She could feel his hard erection rubbing against her as she rocked her hips on every thrust of his fingers. "I will fuck you, baby, as soon as you come for me."

As if his words were a command, Connie felt the spring deep inside her uncoil and she chanted Happy's name as he continued to stroke her through her orgasm, whispering dirty secrets in her ear. As quickly as the first one ended, Connie could feel another orgasm bearing down on her as Happy continued his ministrations. "Oh god, please, baby!"

She felt Happy lick her neck before sucking on her earlobe. "Can you make it to the bedroom, Con?"

She wrenched herself out of his hold and turned to face him, shaking her head. With a smirk, Happy suddenly picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, marching out of the kitchen and back down the hall to the bedroom. he dumped her on the bed and shucked off his boxers as she hurriedly pulled her shirt over her head and pulled her soaked panties off.

He was over her and thrusting into her before she even realized what was happening in her frenzied state. She pulled him down on top of her, wanting to feel as much of him as she could. As he took her lips in a searing kiss and thrust hard, Connie knew what it meant to be home. Happy was her home and the thought filled her with a contentment that she hadn't felt in years. She stared into his eyes as they fell over together, both screaming the other's name, clutching each other closely, not willing to let go even after. 

As they lay tangled together, chests still heaving and sweat cooling their overheated bodies, Connie decided to give him one more chance to back out. She grinned and traced the Filthy Few tattoo on his chest.

"Is this the part where you throw some money on the table and say it's been fun?"

Happy rolled his eyes as she laughed before smacking her hard on the ass. "Nah, you can't get rid of me that easy." He kissed her on the forehead and sighed before reaching down to swat her again, getting a shout from her. He snickered and pointed at the door. "Go fix your old man some breakfast, woman."


	18. Chapter Eighteen

 

"My want kisses too!"

Connie and Happy broke apart grinning as a three-year-old missile launched herself at Happy's legs. Tara was laughing as she set the kid's bags down by the front door.

"I'm gathering everything is good here?"

Connie nodded and snickered as Happy peppered Maddie's face with kisses, making the little girl scream in delight. Nate wrapped an arm around his mom's waist, seemingly just as happy as his sister to be home. 

"Yeah, we're good."

Tara grinned. "Ok, I'm gonna head over to the club. You should come by later if you feel like it."

Connie told her that they might and she left, leaving Connie and Happy with the two kids. Connie looked at Nate and brushed his hair back out of his face. "Did you have fun with Tara?"

Nate nodded, chuckling at Happy as he swung Maddie around by her feet. "Yeah, we did. I caught a snake but Tara wouldn't let me keep it."

Happy chuckled as he shook his head. "Women, right?"

Nate grinned as Connie rolled her eyes. "Yeah, we're just crazy not wanting to bring a wild animal indoors." She took Maddie from Happy and looked at her children. "Are you hungry?"

Nate grinned. "I can always eat, mom."

Happy snickered and high-fived the teenager as Connie sat Maddie down and headed into the kitchen. As she was pulling a pizza from the freezer, she could hear Happy and Maddie arguing over what cartoon to watch. She turned to see Nate standing in the doorway, watching as she put the pizza in the oven. "What's up, honey?"

Nate shrugged, looking at his shoes for a moment before meeting her gaze. "I thought... are you ok?"

Connie nodded and smiled at her first-born. "Yeah, I'm good, why?"

Nate shrugged again. "I thought maybe dad was coming this weekend and that was why you wanted me and Maddie to go with Tara."

Connie bit her lip and nodded, thinking that somehow her little boy had grown into a man overnight, one that caught on to things quickly. "He did, yeah."

Nate's expression turned from nervous to worried in an instant. "Was he... did he... ?"

Connie pulled him into a hug and shook her head. "No, baby. I'll just say that we got everything worked out." She pulled back to look into his eyes. "I took care of it."

She watched the relief spread across his face before he hugged her again. "So he's not coming back and we don't have to go back home?"

Connie grinned and kissed Nate on the forehead. "No, sweetie. You don't ever have to worry about him again."

Before Nate could reply, Happy walked into the kitchen and leaned against the wall. "Everything ok in here?" Both Connie and Nate nodded. "Cool. So I thought I'd take Nate with me today. Let him hang out around the garage while I take care of some stuff."

Nate looked at Connie, practically vibrating with excitement. "Can I mom?"

Connie grinned as Happy winked at her. "Sure. If Happy wants to take you, you don't have to ask me."

Maddie threw herself at Happy's legs, clinging as he chuckled. "My go too!"

Connie shook her head. "Not right now, Maddie. You're going with me to do some shopping. We'll go to the garage later, ok? Besides, you're not big enough to ride on Happy's bike."

Maddie wasn't happy but she nodded anyway. After the pizza was devoured and the guys were ready to go, Happy pulled Connie into a hug. "I'll see you in a little bit?"

Connie nodded before he kissed her. She heard Nate make a pretend gagging noise and Maddie giggle as Happy pulled back chuckling. Connie just rolled her eyes at her son as he followed Happy out the front door. Soon, the sound of his motorcycle had faded and she looked down at her youngest.

"Ok, how about that shopping?"

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Happy parked in his customary spot and waited for Nate to get off the bike before swinging a leg over. He pointed at the picnic tables and started that way, expecting the teen to follow. When they got there, he lit a cigarette and studied the boy for a moment before nodding to himself. He knew they needed to have this conversation before things moved forward between Connie and himself. He wanted all of them to be on the same page.

"I thought maybe you and I should talk."

Nate looked down at his shoes for a minute before meeting the taller man's eyes. "About mom?"

Happy nodded. "Yeah, about your mom and me, your dad if you want. I mean, you're kind of the man of the house, right?"

Nate grinned at that, his chest puffing out a little. "Yeah, I guess so." He looked at Happy. "Are you my mom's boyfriend now?"

Happy nodded again, smirking a little before turning serious again. "Yeah, I guess so. You know me and your mom knew each other when we were kids, right?" When Nate nodded, he continued. "Well, now that we're back together, we want to keep it that way, and I guess this is my way of asking if you're good with that."

Nate thought it over for a moment before finally nodding. "Yeah. She's happy with you. She's smiled a lot since we came here. Before, with dad... it was bad. Mom didn't think I knew a lot of what went on, but I'm not stupid. He's mean and he liked to hurt her." He looked away for a moment before looking at Happy again. "You don't want to hurt her and everybody here treats us like we're part of things. That's really cool."

Happy waited a few minutes, letting his anger at Nate's words simmer back down. He wished for a moment that Connie hadn't killed the kid's dad, because he would have liked to have been the one to handle that.

"I would never hurt your mom, or you and Maddie, and I won't let anyone else do it either." He blew out a breath and grinned to himself. "Eventually, I'm gonna ask her to marry me."

Nate grinned at him before chuckling and nodding. "That would be cool. So you'd be like our dad."

Happy grinned as he threw his cigarette down and stubbed it out with the toe of his boot. "Yeah, I guess so. You good with all of that?"

Nate nodded. "Yeah, I'm good with all of it."

Happy clapped him on the back as they started to walk to the garage. "Good. Let's see what kind of trouble we can get into."


	19. Chapter Nineteen

 

Juice jogged out to meet her as Connie parked her Tahoe in the lot and got Maddie out of her car seat.

"Try not to be mad, ok?"

Connie looked at him, confused, as Jax walked up to join them, a smirk on his face. "I just got here. Why would I be mad already?"

Jax chuckled as he leaned down and swung Maddie up into his arms. "Oh, believe me, you're gonna be mad." He turned to the little girl in his arms as he pointed to Juice. "I bet Juice can find some ice cream in the kitchen if you wanna go with him."

Maddie eagerly held her hands out to Juice, who laughed and swung her around in circles as he took her from Jax. As Connie watched her youngest happily chattering away to her new best friend, she heard the sound of an engine. She didn't pay any attention to it at first since they were at a garage run by bikers, but she glanced over as a bike zipped past her and she did a double take.

Nate was on a motorcycle, grinning from ear to ear. He stopped by the gates and turned around, coming to a stop next to his furious mother. Before the boy could speak, Connie was yelling, making Jax wince. "Why are you on a bike?"

Nate grinned unrepentantly as he took his helmet off. "Happy gave it to me and he and Tig showed me how to ride it. Cool, huh?"

Connie looked from her son to the man standing beside her trying not to laugh and chuckled sarcastically. "Oh yeah, very cool. Where are Happy and Tig? I want to thank them."

Jax pointed at Nate, trying hard to contain himself as he spoke. "Your sister's inside with Juice having ice cream. Why don't you join her?" Nate grinned and took off for the clubhouse as Jax turned to a still-fuming Connie. "I didn't want him to witness any bloodshed. Happy and Tig are in the garage."

Connie glared at him as she started for the garage, not stopping when Gemma said hello as she passed her in the doorway to the office. She spotted Tig and Happy leaning against huge tool boxes, laughing about something. "Why is my son on a motorcycle?"

Happy looked over and grinned. "Hey, babe. He's not on a motorcycle. He's on a dirt bike."

Tig nodded in agreement as Connie heard Jax and Chibs snickering behind her. "Yeah, big difference Con."

Connie shook her head, wanting to hit something, preferably the tall bald man openly smirking at her. "No, there's no difference! It has two wheels and an engine!" Tig couldn't contain himself when Connie stomped her foot and pointed a finger back toward the parking lot. "He's just a baby! He could kill himself on that thing!"

Happy shook his head and chuckled. "Ok, let's start over. You say, hi baby, how was your day." He motioned at her. "Go ahead."

Connie glared at him. "Happy Lowman, if you think for one... "

Happy held up a hand, smirking. "Work with me, little girl. What are you supposed to say?"

Connie closed her eyes and counted to ten as she heard the others quietly laughing. Finally, when she was able to speak without yelling, she opened her eyes and looked at Happy. "Hi, baby. How was your day?"

Happy grinned as he walked over and put an arm around a still-angry Connie. "It was great, babe. I taught our son how to ride a bike today. Now, it's just a dirt bike and not a motorcycle, but he isn't old enough for that yet. The dirt bike has less power and is smaller, so it's a great starter. He knows he can't ride it off the lot until he's old enough for a permit." He leaned down to kiss her. "He's not a baby, Connie. He's a teenager with time on his hands. If wanting to mess around with a bike and learn about car engines keeps him occupied, I think that's a win. How about you?"

Connie felt herself deflate at his words. She knew that he was right, but it was still a shock to see her son on a miniature version of Happy's bike. She sighed, nodding. "I suppose if you think it's safe, you'd know." She grinned up at him. "Just don't enlist him as a prospect just yet, ok?"

Happy chuckled and kissed her again as the other guys laughed, Jax speaking up. "Nah, he's got to be at least sixteen before that happens."

Connie rolled her eyes as Happy noticed something. "Where's bug?"

Connie pointed toward the clubhouse. "She and Nate are having ice cream with Juice."

Tig swung his head up from the engine he was looking over. "There's ice cream?"

Gemma and the guys laughed as they all walked over to the club. Something dawned on Connie and she stopped, tugging on Happy's hand. He stopped and looked at her as she frowned up at him. "You said 'our son'."

Happy grinned. "I wondered if you caught that." He shrugged. "I know this is all new, but I feel like they're mine. I know they aren't but you know what I mean."

Connie grinned as she leaned up on her toes to kiss him. "Yeah, I know, but you're the only dad they're going to have, so we all might as well get used to it, yeah?"

Happy smiled and nodded as they trailed behind everyone else. Once inside, it took a minute or two for Maddie to realize Happy was in the room, so absorbed was she in her ice cream sundae. When she finally did see him, she jumped down from her chair and ran to him with arms outstretched. Happy picked her up and let her kiss him all over the face, chocolate sauce and all as Tig handed Connie a dish of ice cream.

As she sat and watched everyone kidding around and joking, the point hit home once more that this was a huge family, and that thanks to Happy, her and her kids were smack in the middle of it.


End file.
